A. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to apparatuses and systems for draining water away from potted plants. More specifically, the present invention relates to such apparatuses that are configured to receive and support standard plant pots that have a hole in the bottom of the plant pot to drain water from the plant. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to such apparatuses and systems that are adapted for the beneficial drainage of water away from a floor or deck where the potted plant is located.
B. Background
Many people place potted plants on or near a walkway, sidewalk, deck, floor, porch, patio or like places to improve the appearance of their home, office or business. Although plant pots come in a variety of different sizes and shapes, the vast majority of plant pots are configured in virtually the same way, that being a container having a hole or holes in or near the bottom of the pot as a drainage portal for the gravitational drainage of water from the plant. The drainage portals allow excess water, fertilizers, chemicals and other liquids (collectively the water and other liquids are referred to herein as “plant treating fluids”) poured into the plant soil to advantageously drain out of the pot instead of building up in the pot and harming the plant (i.e., root rot and the like). While the addition of drainage portals to the standard plant pot has solved the problems associated with the build-up of plant treating fluids in the pot, it does create problems with regard to these fluids draining on the area where the potted plant is located. For instance, it is well known that these fluids can create falling hazards for people and animals moving on or across the area at or near where the pot is located (i.e. a sidewalk or deck). In addition, fluid draining from the plant pot can cause structural damage to the deck or other location where the plant pot sits. Even if the fluid does not directly cause damage, the water or the soil, fertilizer or chemicals carried by the water can stain the sidewalk, deck or other location where the potted plant is located. As is well known, these stains can be very difficult to remove.
Because of the problems with water draining directly on the location where the potted plant sits, most persons utilize a saucer-like plate or tray (i.e., a “pot tray”) to catch and contain the plant treating fluids. The typical pot tray has an upstanding rim portion that keeps a certain amount of fluid from spilling out over the rim until it either evaporates away, is pulled back into the plant pot by capillary action or is manually removed (i.e., by emptying the fluid in a sink, on the ground or back into the potted plant). Generally, however, these fluids are not manually removed from the pot tray. As a result, it is not uncommon at all for fluid to be left standing in the pot tray for some time. If the water is there when the plant is watered again, the additional drainage fluid can cause the pot tray to overflow, resulting in spillage of fluid onto the deck or other surface, creating the very problems that were intended to be avoided by using the pot tray. Another problem with standing fluid being left in the pot tray is that it provides a breeding ground for bacteria, mosquitoes and other pests. At a time when mosquitoes are known to transmit the West Nile Virus and other diseases, people generally do not want to have standing, stagnated fluid suitable for breeding mosquitoes in areas where they or their children may be walking, sitting or playing. Even if mosquitoes are not a problem, the stagnated fluid, containing fertilizer and chemicals, can damage the pot, pot tray and/or result in undesirable smells emanating from the potted plant.
Due to the aforementioned problems, it has been known for some time that it is desirable to have a potted plant system that prevents fluid from spilling onto the area where the plant is located or accumulating in a pot tray. Various apparatuses and systems have been developed to facilitate drainage of fluid away from the potted plant. Most of these are passive in that they rely on the uptake of the fluid back into the plant pot by capillary action of the plant's root system. Unfortunately, this type of system does not prevent the spillage of fluid when there is too much for the underlying tray and, even when there is no spillage problem, the process is generally too slow to avoid the problems associated with standing fluid. Some systems rely on pumps or other devices to circulate the excess fluid back into the plant's soil, either at a planned interval or when the soil is measured to be dry enough to accept more water. Some of these apparatuses and systems have been the subject of patent applications. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,632 to Boling describes a plant drainage system that utilizes an apparatus that fits into or adjacent to the drainage portal at the bottom, underside of the plant pot. The apparatus requires a mechanism, such as blocks or a hole in the deck, to support the plant pot in a manner that allows for drainage through the bottom drainage portal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,184 to Anderson describes a jacketed nursery plant container assembly that utilizes an inner container for the plant, an exterior jacket surrounding the container and a base plate which supports the container above its bottom. One or more wicks extend through openings in the container to pull in water from the reservoir formed by the peripheral wall around the base plate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,239 to Helton and U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,149 to Johnson describe apparatuses and methods for capturing the drainage overflow resulting from the watering of hanging plants. U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,384 to Andrews describes a self-draining plant pot having filter assembly partially enclosed in a sidewall of the plant pot that drains the water down to a preselected level in the pot.
Although the prior art discloses a number of plant watering or drainage apparatuses, there are certain characteristics of the known apparatuses that limit their complete acceptance, usefulness and/or cost effectiveness. For instance, it is well known that the apparatuses that do not provide for the draining away of fluid from the plant pot or pot tray are subject to the aforementioned problems with regard to fluid spillage or standing fluid. In addition, the apparatuses that are configured to allow fluid to wick into the plant pot are not configured to drain the fluid away. Those apparatuses that do provide for plant pot drainage either do not, because of their configuration, completely drain away the fluid or require a non-attractive support mechanism or holes in the floor or deck upon which the plant pot rests in order to be effective. What is needed, therefore, is a combined plant pot drainage tray that substantially transports away the plant treating fluids that drain from a plant pot and which is adaptable to a variety of different sized and configured plant pots. The plant pot drainage tray should not require any modification to the floor, deck or other location where the plant pot is utilized and be configured to allow the owner or caretaker to move the plant pot and drainage tray as needed or desired. Preferably, such an apparatus should be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple to utilize and allow the owner/caretaker to relatively easily clean the drainage tray as may be necessary or desired.